Logitech Harmony Elite review: simple to use remote that can charge of your home

The Logitech Harmony Elite is definitely the one remote to rule them all, from TV, set-top box and console to lights, thermostat, wireless speakers and internet-connected sensors, it’ll control all.

Logitech provides a long reputation of making excellent universal remotes that will not only control every IR device ahead of your television, but will also allow you to make custom remotes for controlling a group of several devices concurrently.

The Harmony Elite will be the latest top quality do-it-all remote, a product that now has moved beyond just your entertainment centre and wants to overcome your whole house.

Three-part system

There three elements into the Logitech Harmony Elite. There is the remote, the hub plus the app.

It is among the most best designed, beloved to use remotes I have had the pleasure to keep. There are actually remotes for show high are remotes for implementing, and that is these.

It is a breeze to realize all of the buttons, and they’ve got a fantastic, responsive feel directly to them. The remote includes a heft going without running shoes without having to be heavy as well as soft-grip back allows you to keep upon. These things ought to be a given to get a remote costing as much as a television, but other solutions costing similar amounts fail during this fundamental level.

The top third within the Elite can be a 2.4in colour touchscreen for picking devices, selecting favourite channels or activities, or leaving custom commands which aren’t required to physical buttons.

The remote possesses his own charging dock into so it slots the clothes airer, and can last a good sometimes a week between charges in case you so wish.

Getting set up

Setting increase the remote is additionally one of many easiest processes I have been through with universal remotes, but it are not done around the Elite itself.

Setup requires an Android or iOS device, or possibly a computer. The Harmony app establishes a customer account and adds devices. Additionally, it guides users through starting activities for example “Watch TV” allowing one remote to change the gear on, change channel about the satellite box, adjust the quantity using the amp and modify picture modes on the TV.

All you must know is just what you’re endeavoring to push the button with, including the model no . if applicable. Within about seven minutes I had six devices setup and five activities were ready to be.

Point it anywhere

The Elite connects to the Harmony Hub, which inturn blasts out commands on your various devices via infrared, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, whichever should be used.

The Hub comes along with two IR blasters which really can be connected your back grant the footprint of the broadcasting abilities, which is useful when you’ve got a jug of apparatus hidden in the cupboard.

It means you don’t need to point the remote in any particular direction plus the solution is fast – much faster than previous IR-based Logitech Harmony remotes.

The Elite is broadly split into two functions: “activities”, which mixes devices and actions together into one remote; and devices, which lists out all of your devices individually with full power over their every function.

Hit “Watch TV” about the touchscreen by way of example, and it could first turn on satisfied for viewing television and hang a starting channel. To me that’s the amp, the satellite box along with the TV, in a position to the proper input and mode automatically. However receive a custom remote to switch volume while using amp, switch channels using the satellite box and activate picture-in-picture while using TV.

If I would like to swap to your Amazon Fire TV, I hit that button and yes it switches the input about the amp, switches off of the satellite box and we’re off.

Once you’re through with all, press the dedicated off button about the very top from the remote and it looks after others.

In over 2 months deploying it I’ve yet to make it neglect to turn something on or activate the best mode, but you will find helpful buttons to fix things as long as they fail by sorting through what’s and not on or correctly set.

All a similar actions can be performed utilizing the Harmony remote app on any Android or iOS device, meaning others in the room need not hold the remote to alter the channel. Whether which is a true blessing or simply a very bad thing rests for the dynamics of this living room.

Internet of things tamed

The Harmony Elite is all about just like a universal remote will get, even so it gets to be a lot more interesting when preparing to incorporate your internet-connected devices in your residence.

Without any configuration, the Harmony Hub can control many hundreds of smart home devices from lights to thermostats to speakers.

For instance, anything configured with Samsung’s SmartThings Hub can be controlled while using Harmony. It is possible to pause, play, skip tracks and adjust the volume of Sonos speakers. You can see the state your presence, temperature, activity or water sensors.

It can even notify you in the event your Nest smart thermostat enters into away mode because it hasn’t spotted you for a while, in case you are actively making use of the Elite right at that moment, allowing you to switch it back on and adjust the temperature if you wish.

Not only can it be controlled individually, but they can also be combined into activities. I will let down all the lights in the house with one button, or I could possibly dim the lights while in the lounge to merely a lamp inside the corner when switching on the TV.

A wide range of the opportunity of the world wide web of things centers on smart devices performing timed functions. But if you prefer to trigger an action right this minute, it may be a case of digging out a smartphone, loading an application and hitting handle.

The Elite removes that rummaging, or puts the whole thing within one remote app on your own phone.

PS4

The one disappointing thing I’ve found using the Elite is its control over Sony’s PlayStation 4. The PS4 results in a good media player and even while the Elite can control some aspects of it, the remote can’t turn on the PS4, can’t control Netflix playback as well as other bits. You’ll find it won’t turn it off, only putting it into sleep after you hit the ability button.

Logitech blames Sony because of this, which insists that the primary driver is often the PS4’s controller, making for a lousy media experience.

Observations

• It’s easier than I’d like to accidentally hit the button on the touchscreen when shopping for the remote from the sofa
• Channel favourites get rid of have to go hunting in the guide for BBC One inch HD every time
• Trying to manage pairs of Sonos speakers leads to one being arrived or down only, not both
• The Elite can send IR commands directly, if you need it to, rendering it easier to controll things in another room
• The shiny black Hub may be a dust magnet

Price

The Logitech Harmony Elite is definitely the top of the range remote from your company, costing